Leadership Lessons on Mount Kilimanjaro
This week on Visionary Leader, Extraordinary Life, Kate interviewed 13-time Paralympic Medalist and Executive Director of One Revolution, Chris Waddell. In 1988, Chris was a promising young skier at Middlebury College in Vermont when he lost the use of both of his legs in a skiing accident. Since that time, Chris led a most extraordinary life. He is a Paralympic Champion - medaling in both the summer and winter games. In 2009, Chris Waddell set out to be the first paraplegic to summit Mount Kilimanjaro unassisted. During his journey, Chris faced some fierce challenges on his handcycle and learned some important leadership lessons along the way.
Like many leaders, Chris had set a goal: to reach the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro. As he faced challenges along the way, Chris' became more and more focused on the goal, keeping his head down and forcing himself and his team to continue forward toward the goal. A few of the challenges seemed insurmountable, until Chris was able to stop, lift his head, and take a moment to see the big picture. When he was less focused on the target itself, and more on the path to getting there, Chris found that there were many twists and turns along the way - some of which offered great opportunities. Chris realized he could still hold and strive for the ultimate goal, while still recognizing the opportunities along the journey.
Like Chris, visionary leaders need to be able to step back, assess the situation and accept reality. They are then able to make adjustments to the plan in order to achieve the goal.
How well are you and your organization able to make adjustments mid-course in order to adapt to new situations?
Were you inspired by Chris and his story? Make a donation or buy the One Revolution DVD at One Revolution.
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The Inspired Leader on Kidscreen.com What Inspiring Leaders Actually Do
I participated on a panel this week at the Kidscreen Summit in NYC facilitated by Donna Friedman Meir. The four panelists (Angela Santomero, Maggy McGuire, Tim Brooke-Hunt, Tom Lynch) were invited to share their stories and provide a perspective about leadership and what they've learned over the years as groundbreakers in the kids' media field. My assignment was to provide a leadership perspective and then help the audience learn from their stories. Here's what I learned from four great leaders in the children's media field:
Go with the flow. Don't over-plan and over-prepare your career. The best things may come when you least expect it! Be open to opportunities that arise unexpectedly. (Tim)
Create a vision and go for it - even if people don't get it at first. "If people think you're crazy, you're probably onto something great." (Angela)
Follow your passion and don't let others distract you from what you know in your heart is good. (Tom)
Step up and invite others to help you create something fantastic using your shared passion and creativity. Use your creativity on the business side, too. (Maggie)
Each leader spoke about his or her career, sharing moments of revelation and fascinating tales of regrouping after a personal setback. I noticed that to a person, they modeled resilience and a willingness to write their own life stories. To a person, they spoke of moments of uncertainty, of not knowing exactly what to do next. Yet, in each case, the leader found the courage to keep going, taking a risk that, in hindsight opened big new opportunities.
The last question of the program came from the audience and was directed to Tom Lynch, who had stated that if he knew then what he knows now, he wouldn't have worried so much. "How do you stop yourself from worrying?" asked a member of the audience. Great question! Tom laughed and said that it happens naturally as one ages. I added the idea that the best way to help yourself stop is to sit down with your fears and ask them their name. By getting them out on the table, you can break them down and begin to work with them.
As someone said to me in the final moments of the hour, "It's amazing to hear from these distinguished people that they've had moments of fear or failure. I feel encouraged and inspired by that!" We're all human.
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